Murderous Acquaintances: Bwen Halloween Special
by GreenNightStar
Summary: The cool morning breeze wasn't the only change that was happening in the life of three Tennyson family members. Halloween can be a day full of tricks and treats.
1. Part 1

**Murderous Acquaintances – Bwen Halloween Special: Part 1**

It was the morning of October 31st and Max Tennyson had offered to take two of his grandchildren, Ben and Gwen, out to do something for Halloween. He didn't have a clue what they were going to do, but decided that they would find something – just like how they found the Omnitrix nearly five months ago.

As Max walked along the open city sidewalk, a cold breeze continuously attempted to chill his bones. The day was dry and cold. _It's the perfect weather for the holidays_, Max thought refreshingly. The older man had just come out of a hardware store to get a few new pieces for his RV – nicknamed the Rust Bucket. The front dashboard was a bit loose and needed a few screws to tighten it up.

Carrying the brown paper bag full of a screw driver and a box of screws, Max began to question if he had gotten the right size. _No time to worry about that now_, he thought.

During his brief moment of thinking, he unknowingly ran into another man – who was dressed in a shady trench coat with a tan fedora.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Max said apologetically.

"No no, don't worry about it. I should have watched where I was walking." The stranger said to him in a kind manner. He was definitely not mad and seemed really happy to be able to compensate for his clumsiness. Almost _too_ happy.

"Ah I was in deep thought, it wouldn't have happened if I just payed attention."

"You think so?" He laughed again. "Say, you look like the type of guy that has children. Plan on doing anything special for Halloween tonight?"

"Kids?" Max chuckled awkwardly, "yes, but mine are all grown up. On the other hand, I do plan on taking my grandchildren out to do something. Although, I haven't figured out what we're going to do."

"Ouch, you've got the kids but nothing to do? Tell you what, take this brochure. It's a great place for a little _scare_ and it's fun for the kids. It might even be fun for you too, or just give you a heart attack."

Max didn't know how to respond to his words other than to take the paper that was now extending from the man's hand. The way he said the word, scare, made the hairs on Max's neck stand up a bit. He convinced himself that the cold wind was just getting to him.

"Well, have a good day. I expect to see you and your grandkids at that place on the pamphlet." The stranger then shoved his hands back into his pockets and begin to walk away like the conversation they had never happened. Max was left standing on the sidewalk next to a couple of clothes. He swore there was something familiar about the guy he had just talked to. When he saw the stranger's eyes they were an odd purplish hue – which raised a few questions in Max's mind.

Finally, he decided to take a look at the paper he had gotten from his little acquaintance. It gave an address to some haunted house festival at an old Berel Manor that was there in Bellwood. The picture of the land definitely had a spooky setting to it. Of course it would, it's a Halloween setup, Max told himself. However, the brochure looked as if it was homemade and printed from cheap paper rather than distributed by a normal flier company. Ignoring the fact, Max continued his walk back to the Rust Bucket and prepared himself for his two rival grandkids.

Before he opened the door to the vehicle, he decided it would be worth one more try to look through the brochure – just to see if he had missed something.

Max was glad that he was doing a double-check, because he realized that the pamphlet was folded and opened outwards. There was a rectangular information box on one side. When he read what was inside of it, his eyes widened with surprise.

"I...I don't know if I could do that." The fearless, and courageous, man swallowed.

* * *

Gwen was in her living room watching TV. Typically, most kids would want to watch something a little scary on the day of Halloween, but she didn't Instead, Gwen was watching the NASA channel. The station was doing a live action special from one of the satellite bases that orbited above the Earth. It was interesting to Gwen, but – of course – not to her parents.

Frank and Lily decided to go up to their room and watch a special Fright Night on another channel. Gwen didn't like to put herself into a situation where she knew something was definitely going to scare her. She didn't even like to watch those shows about people supposedly hunting for ghosts.

"Ghosts", Gwen laughed aloud, "what a joke." It wasn't that she didn't believe in ghost, because she did – definitely from the summer she spent with Ben and her grandfather – but rather that the ones they said they were hunting on TV just weren't real. It wall all fake for fame and money.

Speaking of Ben and Max, Gwen was supposed to go somewhere with them both for Halloween. When she heard that Max was going to take her somewhere for the holiday, her mind almost jumped out of her head with joy. However, it didn't last long because she found out that Ben was also going to accompany them.

All throughout their first summer trip a few months ago, Ben had continuously teased her, and she fought back without question. Gwen had hoped that she wouldn't have to ever see his face again, but ever since she moved to Bellwood things changed.

She saw him everywhere in the school's hallways and he was in every single class of hers except one. The one class he wasn't in was an advanced science class, which Ben could never get into. It was like her sanctuary for the day. No Ben.

Unfortunately, her sanctuary wasn't all about just solitude. It did have one drawback. Whenever Ben wasn't around to taunt her, she felt a bit...lonely. As if she wasn't getting any attention. Sure Gwen had quite a few friends, but they never really felt like anything more than people she talked to. They didn't seem to care – or even notice – what she thought. Not that Ben cared either, but he definitely noticed what she thought. He would usually make fun of her for thinking something, but it didn't matter because he did at least acknowledge she was thinking.

Gwen jumped a little because of a loud noise coming from outside her house. It sounded like the horn of an eighteen-wheeler. The young girl got up to look at the window which was in the front side of her house. She spotted a familiar cool-yellow RV.

"Mom!" She yelled up the stairs, "Grandpa's here! I'm going now!" Gwen then waited to hear a response. It took a minute, as her mother came out of her room and looked down from atop the staircase.

"Alright honey. Have fun and be safe." Her mother said with a hint of sleepiness.

"I will, mom" Gwen concluded the conversation and rushed out the front door.

The chilling winds caused her silky-orange hair to brush into her green eyes. Even with a beret holding her bangs off to the side, some of it still came unkempt. Neither Ben nor Gwen decided to wear a costume. They didn't want to seem dorky, or dweeby as they called it, in front of the other. So they both acted like dressing up was for little babies.

Gwen's grandfather was now outside the Rust Bucket waiting by the entrance door. He knelt down as she ran up and into his arms. Max's large body was warm to Gwen's and she was glad to see him again.

"Grandpa!" Gwen exclaimed with a smile on her face.

"Gwen, it's good to see you! I've got something fun planned for us today tonight. All we have to do is go get Ben."

"Yeah, don't remind me." She retorted sourly.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad. Besides, I'm sure Ben's going to get scared eventually." Max laughed and they both walked into the Rust Bucket where the air was warmer.

_Maybe he will get scared_, Gwen thought, _or maybe I might be the one getting scared_. Gwen had always been the one to be frightened by the bad guys that they had fought over the summer. So she was sure that if anyone was going to get scared, then it would probably be her.

Ben's house wasn't far from Gwen's, as they lived in the same neighborhood. The RV strode down the poorly-built street – which needed some major repairs – and after a few street turns the house they were looking for appeared.

It was brown with a very dark green roof – almost like a mountain cabin. The windows were close to the roof and were small rectangles outlined in green wood. Everything looked dark, except for the kid that came dashing out the front door.

Ben was racing towards the Rust Bucket with a goofy grin on his face. Gwen even smiled at his face because it just looked completely stupid. Max got out of the RV to meet his grandson and say their greetings. Gwen, however, waited inside the insulated RV – not wanting to be attacked by the October cold.

When the footsteps of a large body and a child could be felt rumbling the vehicle, Gwen turned around to meet face to face with Ben. However, instead of ignoring him or smiling – or even saying something to him – she screamed as if someone had been killed right in front of her.

"Ahh!" Gwen cried out, "Ben you said you weren't dressing up! You almost gave me a heart attack." Gwen then smiled deviously.

"Ha ha" Ben spoke without enthusiasm. He wasn't dressed up in any costume and was wearing his normal daily clothes. "You are just _so_ hilarious." The boy then proceeded to sit in the bench across from her.

"So Grandpa, where are we going?" Gwen finally brought up the question that had been nibbling on the cousin's minds for a while.

A smug smile spread across the elderly man's face. "Oh don't you two worry about it. It's definitely going to be a _scare_."

Gwen and Ben both shot each other a look. Their faces were a bit smudged because of the way their grandfather said the final word. Ben shrugged and looked away. However, Gwen wasn't so easily convinced. She knew something wasn't right, and – even though they weren't anywhere scary yet – chills were sent up and down her body.

* * *

The night sky was impossible to see. Fog covered every inch of the sky and made it hard to see more than a mile out on the road. The only sign that anyone could see that there even was a sky was the bleak whitish light coming from the moon.

Making a rattling noise, the RV turned onto a bumpy road that seemed to lead a good distance away from the road. Every inch the Rust Bucket would move, the three Tennysons would bounce a bit off of their seats.

"Grandpa," Gwen said between being rattled, "are you sure you're going to the right place?"

"Yeah, I don't think anyone would try to hide some place where there is going to be a bunch of people." Ben jumped in before Max could answer.

"No no, I'm sure this is the right road." He said, barely able to sit in his seat.

They drove along the old road for several more minutes before making yet another turn. Instantly, the road went from a rigid mess to a smooth ride. The change was welcomed by both of the passengers.

"What a relief. I thought I was going to get a headache." Gwen said while putting one of her hands on her forehead and looking as if she had just woken up.

"_What a relief..."_ Ben said in a sharp voice – mocking her.

Gwen rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Hey you two, come look at this." Max called from the front of the RV

More curious than interested, Ben and Gwen got up and quickly strode to the front of the Rust Bucket – competing for who would get to sit in the passenger seat.

Ben, of course, one and selfishly sat down in the large leather seat. Gwen made an audible groaning noise and Ben couldn't help but feel accomplished.

"What do you think of this place?" Their grandfather asked them.

He had just pulled up into a large driveway which led up to a hill. The whole twenty acre yard was fenced in with a ten-foot tall black metal gate. Everything seemed to be just right for Halloween. The grass was a brownish-green rather than a solid green color. Most of the trees were either dead – with no leaves – or had fallen over. They seemed to droop in an ugly fashion and were definitely unappealing.

What really caught the Tennyon's attention was what is on top of the hill the driveway led up to. An old colonial two-story home sat atop of the large terrain bump. The house was extremely large and reminded Gwen of a mansion, or plantation house. It was old and made from dark gray wood, and Ben swore that the house looked as if it was going to topple over soon.

"This is awesome!" Ben exclaimed. "Whoever made this place put a lot of effort into making it look creepy. I mean seriously, it's even got a realistic looking graveyard across the road!"

"Yes," Max agreed, "maybe a little too much effort..."

"What do you mean, Grandpa?" Gwen asked – a little frightened by his statement.

"Ah nothing, let's just go inside and see what kind of fun we can have. Alright?"

"Yeah." "Sure" They both agreed in unison.

Max parked the RV on the driveway concrete, but careful not to block the vehicles of any other visitors. The three stepped out of the vehicle, and were instantly attacked by the ferocious winds that howled throughout the night. Gwen and Ben looked around and the eerie house before them.

Max led them up to the house porch. Each wooden plank they walked on, a distinct noise could be heard emitting from the old material. Gwen spied a black cat sitting next to the front double-doors.

"Hi, cat" Gwen said in an adorable, playful voice that one would only use to talk to little children.

The black cat opened its golden eyes and let out a shrill hissing sound before dashing off of the porch and off into the open land.

Gwen jumped backwards and fell on her back side. The cat had made her heart bounce, as she was already a little scared of the house. The animal hissing at her just made it all worse, and so did Ben.

Ben was pointing at her and laughing – holding his free hand on his stomach.

"Oh shut up!" Gwen yelled and stood back on her feet.

"Quiet!" Max whispered loudly before knocking audibly on one of the old, wooden doors.

They waited about half a minute. Not a single sound came from the inside of the house. Everything seemed to get silent and not a single blade of grass moved. The wind had died down and the fog had only gotten stronger. It was almost as if the Earth had stopped moving.

"Well, I guess we just go in." Max stated bleakly and began turning the knob on the door. However, no matter which way he turned the doorknob, or how hard he pushed, the door would simply not open.

"Grandpa, are you sure this is the right place?" Gwen asked for the second time – highly doubting that any _Halloween festival_ would be held at such a spooky place. "I mean, there is nobody else here but us."

"No I am definitely sure, Gwen" Max replied while still struggling with the door. After trying a few more times, the older man gave up. "Alright...how else would we get it?"

_Why is he so obsessed about this place?_ Gwen wondered.

"Hey, maybe Four Arms can help!" Ben cried happily – eager to get inside the house.

"No!" Their grandfather replied sharply. "No aliens Ben."

Ben gave Gwen a confused look. She just shrugged. The younger boy moved closer to her so his whisper wouldn't carry to Max's ears.

"What's up with Grandpa?" He whispered to her.

"I don't know. He seemed to have changed ever since we got here, like when we went after that Mayan sword."

Ben nodded, but didn't have time to respond. As their grandfather had gotten the door open.

"Got it!" Max exclaimed in a breathless whisper. The door squeaked open until the three of them could see a little into the house. A stale smell rushed from the doorway and up into their noses.

There was absolutely no light inside the house. It looked as if they were all three about to walk into an unlit cave – and it smelled like one too.

"Oh...that's a bit dark." Max said solemnly. "B-but we didn't come here for nothing, right?" His head was still staring inside the barely-lit house.

"Gwen...I think Grandpa lost his brain or something." Ben said to his cousin – a bit frightened by his grandfather's sudden change in attitude. Ben looked up to Max like he was his own father. Whenever Ben was hurt or struggling he would be there to help, so when Max was scared of something it was usually with good reason.

"Grandpa...are you afraid of the dark?" Gwen asked sympathetically with Ben standing beside her.

Max's eyes had been wider than usually, but he quickly saw that his fears were starting to make his grandchildren feel a bit scared.

"No no, it's just I don't like to go into a place I've never been in before – when it's dark. I'm sure it's alright. Someone brought us here for a reason anyways."

Without saying much else, Max motioned for them to follow his lead. They wearily walked into the house. Just like on the porch, each step they took made the floorboards creak loudly. The trio stayed close to one another, and Gwen's hands were extremely close to her mouth as her teeth were chattering. They couldn't see much, as the only light they had was from a few windows.

As far as Ben could tell – because his eyesight was the best out of the three of them – there was a grand staircase before him and two hallways on either side of them.

They stood in the middle of the main room, afraid to make another movement because of the possibility of awakening some sleeping person. Suddenly, Max was unsure if they were in the right place.

"Maybe the address was wrong..." He tried to convince himself. "I might have misread it."

The older man reached around to his back pocket and pulled out a lighter. As soon as his hand was inside his pocket, the front door they had opened slammed closed.

Everyone but Ben jumped in surprise. They all turned around but suddenly lost their sense of direction. They were now in utter darkness.

"Okay...something is seriously going on here." Ben said worriedly. The darkness had engulfed them and they couldn't even see their own hands in front of them.

A few soft thuds could be heard from above them in the high ceiling.

"It's...p-probably just...rats." Max said hesitantly.

Just as he said that, a dry laugh rang throughout the house. But it wasn't the normal evil or sinister laughter. It felt as if it begin right from their own heads and expanded outward. It was low pitched and made the hairs on all three of their necks stand up.

"But that wasn't!" Gwen exclaimed loudly, beginning to go into a panic.

"Okay...just clam down Gwen. It isn't anything we ca-..." A cold sensation began to rise on Max's shoulder. "Ben...is that your hand?" His voice was filled with a sense of dread – almost as if he knew the answer to his own question.

"No Grandpa, I'm over here by Gwen." The sound of a boy's voice could be heard in the same direction as his granddaughter's heavy breathing.

"Yeah," their grandfather answered back – his breaths in heavy gulps. "I thought so."

Slowly, Max reached – once again – for the lighter he kept in his back pocket. Every bone in his body shook as he felt the odd chill that accumulated around his shoulder start to expand and spread along his entire back.

Max moved to the side and finally lit the lighter that he had been holding. As soon as the fire emitted from the small fuel source, a hissing noise was heard from behind Max. All of the cold left his body and the hiss began to get further and further into the house.

"Gwendolyn! Find me a candle!" Max cried out in the now-dimly lit house. The fire barely allowed light to expand three feet in front of them, and it wouldn't hold for long.

"But Grandpa..." Gwen's eyes were now swell with tears. She was terrified, and her grandfather's new attitude was scaring her even more.

"Now!" Her grandfather commanded.

Ben was simply amazed at what was happening. He wasn't even believing it. The boy had half a mind to turn into one of his aliens, but was afraid of what Max might do if he did. Besides, he told Ben not to use any of his aliens. What for?

"I'll get one." Ben offered.

"That's fine...just hurry!" The darkness was getting to Max and the weird noise he heard when the lighter was lit just threw him over the edge. Fearful drops of sweat fell from his face, even though the air wasn't warm at all.

Ben, not wanting to become the victim of his grandfather's next yelling session, moved over to where he could see a table. Each step he took made the house moan and groan as if it was trying to talk to them.

On the wooden end-table Ben saw a bolt of cloth and a vintage candle holder with a candle in it.

_This was a little convenient_, he said to himself before looking up at the wall that the table sat against. There was a large picture of an older man with long curly hair – like the people from the 1700s. The eyes painted on the picture stared down at Ben as if him and the picture shared some secret.

Clenching his teeth and turning quickly back around, he moved to where the light Max was holding was. In one motion, Ben held the candle up towards his grandfather's free hand was.

Max snatched the candle and its coaster from Ben's hands in a sweeping motion. Without even as much as taking another breath, he lit the candle.

It didn't add much more light than what was already given from the lighter, but at least it would last longer – much longer.

Even with a stable source of light, Max still was unable to calm down. He took deep breathes of the stale air and his throat was begging to get a refreshing drink.

"Alright...alright," he started, attempting to calm himself down, "we have light. We'll be fine as we have light."

"What do you mean by 'we'll be find if we have light', Grandpa?" Ben questioned awkwardly. Part of him wanted to think that everything was just a setup to scare him and Gwen. After all, how convenient was it all that on Halloween they would get trapped in a dark house?

Ignoring his question, Max asked his granddaughter, "Gwen, do you remember where the front door is?"

Gwen – still in a state of panic – answered with unexpected confidence. "Yeah I do. It's right behind us. I haven't moved since we stepped into this creepy place."

"Creepy isn't the right word for it." Max answered back to her as he walked behind Gwen – looking for the entrance they came through.

Ben rolled his eyes. He still wasn't convinced any of what was happening was real. "Are you trying to say it's haunted?"

"Much worse, Benjamin." The elderly man came up to a wall when he noticed something. The wall wasn't covered in the wallpaper they had first noticed when the three walked in. It was covered in a purplish slime that seemed to run down the entire wall.

"Oh no..." he cried in shock, "I'm so stupid! I should have seen this coming."

Both cousins were confused as to what he was talking about, but they were both afraid to ask. It was pitch black in the house and extremely quiet – except for their own breathing and the occasional soft thuds coming from throughout the house. The only real light anymore was the one their grandfather was holding.

"Ben! Turn into Heat Blast and get us out of here, please!" Gwen cried, clinging to Ben's arm. She was unbelievably scared and if anyone could see her eyes they would find that she had been letting tears flow for quite a while now.

"No!" Max shouted to her.

"But Grandpa! Can't you hear her. You've scared her long enough now get us out of here!" Ben shouted angrily at his grandfather.

The boy could see the light in Max's hand get closer to him. "You think I'm doing all of this? I wouldn't put you guys through what we're going through now. I told you not to use your aliens earlier because I didn't want you to scare any of the party guests. Now I realize this isn't a normal party. If you turn into an alien now, you'll kill us all."

Ben's grandfather's words weighed heavily on the young boy's mind. He basically said that his human form is the strongest he has right now. Was he being serious?

"Now come on. We have to find another way out." Max told them and began to walk towards another hallway. "Stay close to me, and don't _ever_ leave this light."

Ben took Gwen's hands he pried them off of his arm. They were still in his own hands when he looked at – what he thought – was her eyes.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on with Grandpa, but we'll get out of here. I promise. If something bad happens I will go hero. Okay?"

For some reason, what Ben said made Gwen feel slightly better. Knowing that he might be able to save them made her feel safer – but only slightly. However, they both noticed the light from Max's candle was growing dimmer. He was moving away from them and apparently didn't notice they hadn't been following.

"So, what are we looking for?" Ben asked as he and Gwen quickly walked up beside their grandfather.

"Some sort of way out. A window, another door, just anything." Max's voice came in sharp phrases. The three could see different phenomenons move around the corners of their eyes. It was almost as if everything outside of the light was alive. Scratching noises could be heard coming in all directions.

"Don't worry, " Max assured them, "just stay in the light and _it_ can't hurt you."

"What is _it_?" Gwen asked, her hands wrapped around her shoulders.

The older man stopped dead in his tracks, and the two kids almost bumped into his statuette figure.

"Hopefully...you won't have to know. Just remember to stay close to the strongest source of light."

Ben looked over to his cousin in suspicion. Everything sounded like they were just thrown into a horror movie, but the way his grandfather spoke made it all seem so real.

Ben could see the way Gwen stared back it him. She was no longer afraid, but looked tired. Her cheeks were flushed from crying and her eyes were wide. She was a complete wreck, and they were apparently stuck in the house.

"Over here!" Max called from a little ways ahead of them. The two cousins walked over towards him. He was standing by a door that led into an extremely large kitchen. In the kitchen there was one small window above the sink. A counter sat in the middle of the large room and cabinets stretched across the walls. Everything was either gray or black.

The window was like the Holy Grail for the three. A hint of moonlight made its way into the kitchen room, but only lit up a small portion. Even so, the light was extremely dim because of the amount of clouds and fog outside.

They all walked into the room with hard tile floor. It was warmer in it and they saw no signs of any sludge on the walls or ceiling.

"It hasn't got in here yet." Max said and put the candle atop one of the counters. He then began to search the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

"Grandpa. I'm not going any further until you explain what _it_ is." Ben demanded the answer from his grandfather. He quickly changed his focus to see where Gwen was. She was standing in the moonlight over by the sink. Ben couldn't help but stare at her. She shone in the light and looked like a dawning princess.

"Ben, can you see if you can get that window open?" Max was now furiously going through the containers. What was he looking for?

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me why I can't go alien. Heat Blast could probably melt this thing and we could get out of here." Ben retorted.

"No!" Max cried frantically.

"Why not?" The two were starting a heated argument and neither of them noticed the room getting colder.

"Um...guys?" Gwen asked, turning her attention back to the kitchen doorway. She caught something quickly dart into the room with them. Her spine began to tingle with sudden fear.

"You can't go alien, Ben!" Their grandfather said with a firm voice.

"Yes I can, and I'm going to!"

"Ben don-" Max stopped in the middle of what he was saying. Softly he whispered, "The light..."

Ben was just about to change into one of his aliens when he heard his grandfather's whisper. "What?"

"The light," he said louder now, "Ben get the candle!" Max's eyes were wide as he saw something move around the darkness that filled the corners of the room.

Ben – not understanding what was happening – darted for their candle that was left on the counter near the doorway. Before the boy could get to it, a sudden breeze swept through the room from an unknown direction. The light blew out and the three were left in pitch black darkness for the second time, save for the bleak portion of the sink lit by the moonlight.

"Oh no, no no..." Max said quickly, "Not the light! We need light!"

Ben rushed to Gwen – the only place where there was any light in the entire house now – and stood scrambled next to her.

"Grandpa! Get over here!" Gwen called, but their grandfather was shutting out all reality.

"We have to get the light back on...we're all dead without the light. No...it has to be brought back." His deep voice fluttered throughout the kitchen, bouncing off the tiles, but the cousins could not tell where he was at anymore. They only saw the unfriendly company of the dark.

A smashing sound was heard from the counter that was in the center of the room.

"Grandpa is that you?" Ben called into the blackness.

There was no immediate response and the room went from panic to sudden quietness. All ambient noises were drowned out by the overwhelming sensation of quietness.

The Tennyson cousins could hear the sound of hoarse breathing from where their grandfather had once been visible until the darkness came over. It began to get slower and slower. However, before it was able to return to normal an odd choking sound replaced the breathing. It reminded Ben of the sound a drowning person makes as he gasps for air.

"Grandpa!" Gwen cried out to, what she hoped, was her grandfather. She began to take off into the black and wanted ever so badly to be next to him and have him tell her everything was alright. Ben grabbed her shoulders and held her back – keeping Gwen safe in the moonlight.

"No, Gwen! Remember what Grandpa said? We have to stay in the light."

"But we have to help him! Go hero! It doesn't matter if Grandpa said not to! Just please, Ben, help him!" Gwen turned around and looked her cousin in the eyes. He was crying, but made no audible sob. Ben turned his head to the side and continued to hold onto Gwen relentlessly.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa."

**Review this part of the story, please. I was going to make it all a single-chapter story but needed a bit of help on how I am doing so far.**


	2. Part 2

**Murderous Acquaintances – Bwen Halloween Special: Part 2**

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Gwen called furiously, fighting for control over her shoulders from Ben. "Let go! Now!"

"No!" he yelled back at her, "If you go over there that...thing...will get you too!"

"I don't care. It has Grandpa and we have to help him!" She was now attempting to pull away from Ben as hard as she could, but no matter what she did Ben would not let go.

The young boy turned his cousin around and once again they looked into each others eyes. There they found the comfort of knowing they still had the other.

"Listen," Ben started, "we have to stay calm. If we want to find any way to help Grandpa, we have to." His heavy breathes carried over to Gwen's face and laced around her features like fire igniting on oil.

Gwen was without words. What could she say? There was nothing that she could do right then and there that would bring her beloved grandfather back. As far as they both knew, something in the dark had gotten him. Neither of them wanted to think about whether he was still alive or not.

In the moonlight they stood together, cramped into a small space where their bodies touched each other. Ben was facing the darkness and Gwen was looking up at him and towards the small window above the sink. Ben marveled at how the moon made her face light up and sparkle even in all of the dread and darkness around them.

Gwen stared at her cousin – finally having her thoughts return to normal speed – and realized how lost she would be right then without him. The outline of him was a yellowish-white as the moon also ignited an aura around him. His green eyes pierced the darkness like an emerald flashlight.

_A flashlight,_ Gwen thought with sudden amazement, _Grandpa was looking for a flashlight!_ She was just about to tell Ben about her findings when he did something that she never thought he would do in a million years. He hugged her.

The young boy's body fully entangled itself with her own. She wanted to push him away and tell him that they had to get out of there, but for some reason she couldn't. Something about Ben made every one of her worries seem to go away. It was almost as if he was taking them away with his hold. She felt secure and comfortable. Maybe it was his ability to turn into a superhero-alien, to ignore what everyone thought about him, to overcome fear, or maybe it was just because Ben was plain clumsy and oblivious.

"We'll get out of here, I promise. And I will get Grandpa back." Ben said into her shoulder.

Gwen smiled in the midst of the moonlight. "I know you will." Her voice carried throughout the darkness of the kitchen like the light of an angel. She always believed that Ben would do whatever he set out to do, and she trusted him enough to lay all of her hopes on him. Gwen knew they would get out of the house – all three of them.

"Ben, Grandpa was looking for a flashlight. He must have thought there was one in here somewhere."

Sudden realization came over the boy. "Well he was right, there's one over by the doorway."

Gwen's hopes sank. The doorway was around the large center counter and was basically invisible in the midst of the dark house.

"How are we supposed to get over to it?" She asked in a hopeless tone.

"No idea. You're the one with the brains, remember?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Now you sa-"

A loud scratching noise started to emit from back outside the kitchen and down the hallway. It was definitely frantic and sounded like something – or someone – was trapped and panicking. The noise was also followed by loud banging as if the thing doing the scratching was also smacking its hand against something.

Gwen's eyes widened and she was sure that it was Max making the noises. She believed he was trying to call for help.

"Grandpa!" Gwen cried out and left the sanctuary of the moonlight – easily slipping away from Ben because his guard had been let down.

"Gwen! No!" Ben called after her, but it was too late.

Gwen was running around the large island-style counter and heading in the direction of the kitchen doorway. However, she soon realized that the familiar hard tile floor was not beneath her feet, and she had only been following the sound of scratching as she couldn't see. The orange-haired girl's feet were now stuck in a freezing purple slime that was slowly creeping up her legs.

The thick substance was making its way up to her waist and pulling her down to the ground in an attempt to apprehend her.

"Ben!" she called out into the darkness. Gwen turned her head to where her cousin had once stood in the moonlight, but he was no longer there.

_Oh no...it must have gotten him too, _she said in her head.

The slime managed to pull the girl down to the ground and was now slithering around her body. She could feel it run through her hair and wrap itself around her head. It then began to solidify and tighten around her.

Before her head was crushed, a bright light came from above her and blinded Gwen's eyesight. The slime then released its complete hold on the young girl and a familiar sound of hissing was heard as it began to dissipate.

"What were you thinking?" Ben said softly as he reached his hand out to help her up.

Gwen took her cousins hand and pulled herself to her feet.

"I'm sorry..." she said, her breathing on a flailing fest. "It's just...that could be Grandpa."

"I know I know, but what if it isn't? What makes you think that slime thing would just let him go?" Ben said pessimistically.

"Maybe it didn't let him go!" Gwen cried, counting her cousin's attitude with optimism. "What if he got away and he needs help. We have to try, Ben!"

The young boy held the flashlight out in front of them – casting a strong light outside into the dark hallway of the colonial home.

"Alright..." he agreed, as there wasn't many other options they could take. "Let's get him back."

Gwen felt relieved that she had him on her side and they weren't going to argue about what they should do. Although, some part of her felt unsure of what they were doing.

"Just stay close to me and don't run off again." Ben told her, and she nodded. Gwen put her hand on Ben's shoulder and they wearily walked out into the hallway with only a flashlight to see in front of them with.

Gwen felt like everything around them was alive. The house groaned from the outside wind and caused the entire home to rumble slightly. Audible creaks and scurrying could be heard in all directions. The only thing that didn't match the dark ambient of the house was the urgent scratching and banging that came from further down the hallway.

The two walked slowly down the dank hallway, and with each step a new wave of worries hit them like an ocean sea. They wanted ever so badly to leave and wished they knew who led them into such a horrible situation.

The light that emitted from the flashlight bounced around. Ben's hand was shaking and he was having a hard time trying to keep the light steady. Gwen didn't blame him. They had their grandfather taken away from right in front of them, and all they could do was listen as the sound of his choking slowly died out from the darkness. Who knew what would happen if it got one of them.

Ben and Gwen came to the end of the hallway, and they entered a room which was much larger than the kitchen, but smaller than the main room back at the front of the house. The scratching was now coming from somewhere close to them, and the sound could now be interpreted.

"It sounds like..." Ben started as he moved the flashlight around the room in search of the source of the sound.

"Like someone is using their...fingernails and trying to claw out of something." Gwen finished while clenching Ben's shoulder even tighter than before.

Ben spotted a staircase that went horizontally up to the second level of the house in front of them. However, the noise wasn't coming from anywhere up there.

He then moved the flashlight's light down from the stairs and onto the wall beneath it. There he spotted an old wooden door with a shiny brass handle. That was exactly where all of the scratching and banging was coming from.

Ben turned his head to look at his cousin behind him. Both of their eyes were fearful, but not undetermined.

"For Grandpa." Ben said.

"For Grandpa..." Gwen agreed wearily and nodded.

Ben swallowed hard and walked up to the door. The sounds of scratching were now right in his ear and another noise soon followed. Behind the wooden door they could hear moaning noises, as if someone had lost their tongue and could no longer speak words.

As the young boy moved his hand out to reach the doorknob, all of the noises seem to get louder and faster. Gwen's heart jumped around her ribcage like a dolphin in the ocean. Sweat drops ran down Ben's forehead and slid down to his arm.

Closing his eyes Ben's hand latched onto the knob and everything grew quiet abruptly. The scratching, banging, and moaning completely stopped and left the two in silence.

Everything was silent. There were no more soft thuds from upstairs, and no more scurrying could be heard from around them. The two were left in complete darkness, save for the light that Ben was shining on the door in front of them.

"Gwen, if anything hap-"

"I know," the young girl answered his unfinished question, and – for the first time since they entered the run-down house – she smiled. Seeing Gwen smile was like watching the sunrise on a cloudless day.

Mustering as much courage as he could, Ben turned the doorknob and slowly pulled the door open. Gwen closed one of her eyes in fear of something jumping out at them.

The door creaked loudly, and would probably alert anything in the house of their presence. This fact made Ben tense up and he was prepared to use the Omnitrix – no matter what.

As soon as the heavy wooden door was completely opened, the two were surprised at what they saw.

Through the open doorway in front of them, they saw complete darkness and the beginning of a set of stairs that probably led down to the basement.

_What was making that sound,_ Ben thought. _Doors don't just do things like that, do they?_

The now traumatized boy turned his head. "There's nothing in there, we should...go look somewhere else." He was highly unsure of yourself.

Gwen then put both of her hands on his shoulders and turned him around – causing the flashlight to dance from different positions.

"Ben...please. If it was Grandpa then he could need us. That sound wasn't there until that thing took Grandpa it has to be him."

Ben was having a large conflict in his head. He wanted to save his grandfather, but fear was eating at his body. He was completely frightened of going down into dark basements which made unexplained noises.

"But Gw-"

"Ben..." she pleaded with him. Her eyes shot through his and walked inside of his head like open pathways.

Ben looked down at his feet. _Gwen always does have a way of getting me to do something, but I never thought she would beg me. I have to..._

The boy nodded his head slowly and ticked one of the corners of his mouth up in an attempt to make a smile.

"Alright" he said and then took a deep breath.

Ben turned around and stared into the complete darkness in front of them. He was weary about shining the flashlight into the basement for fear of what he might see. _If Grandpa was making those noises...why didn't he just cry for help instead of making moans?_ Ben wondered, fearing the worst. _Maybe...that thing did something to him._

Before he could continue to predict bad things that might of happened to his grandfather, Gwen came up beside him. She laced her hand into his right one and squeezed tightly. The sudden happening made Ben stand still for a moment and a warm feeling filled his stomach.

Gwen didn't say anything, but they both knew they had the other for what ever would happen down there. They have always had the other.

Taking the first step, Ben started to walk into the doorway and down the stairs. He kept the flashlight pointed at the stairs so the wouldn't trip. The stair boards were old and poorly made, so they made a loud creak like everything else in the house.

Ben stopped halfway down the stairs.

"I'm going to shine the light down there to see what we're going into," he said confidently. No longer was he shivering from fear, and all he wanted now was to get Max so they could leave. He was angry at whoever, or whatever, had done this to them.

Gwen nodded and Ben pulled his arm that held the flashlight up. He then proceeded to point it into the thick dark below them and out from the stairs. What they saw almost made their jaws drop.

Most of the basement was empty and the walls were made from a gray concrete stone. However, there were a few things that they were both sure didn't belong in any basement.

Sitting alongside the wall just at the end of the stairs were odd grayish rocks. These rocks were shaped like large eggs and had the appearance of dripping paint that had dried to quickly. There were three of the gray colored ones, but the egg-rock that sat at the far corner of the room was purple and still dripping.

"W-what...are those." Gwen asked, mortified by the scene before them.

"They look like...those pods that we sat at Aunt Vera's." He said, not changing his focus from them.

"Come on, Grandpa could be in one." The orange-haired girl then proceeded to move down the stairs and Ben followed. For once, she had the right idea.

They got to the end of the stairs and stood next to one of the pods. It was a gray one and definitely looked like it had been sitting in the basement for years. Spider webs crawled up and down the formation.

Ben then knocked on the rock and his hand smashed right through it.

"Ah!" he cried out, but soon realized making any noise was a bad idea. From somewhere distant in the house, Gwen and Ben heard a familiar hissing noise and then the sound of thuds returned. The sounds were moving and coming closer to them.

"Uh oh" Gwen said and began to feel scared once again.

"Help me open these, Gwen!" Ben called as he continued to tear apart one of the gray, hollow eggs.

They completely removed the top quickly and hurriedly. Each second they spent was another moment that the hissing noise drew closer to the basement door up the stairs.

Gwen covered her noise and closed her eyes as what was inside the egg was revealed. Lying scrunched up like a mummified priests, three skeletons were in the hollowed rock. Two of them looked like children and one was definitely a tall adult. What really stood out and made the room began to smell vile was what was on the skeletons.

Still stuck to their bones were soft, flimsy pieces of flesh and muscle that hadn't finish decaying. Gwen's stomach started to churn.

"I think I'm going to hurl," she announced, putting another hand on her mouth.

Ben wasn't worried what his cousin's stomach was feeling at the time. The hissing sound had finally made it into the hallway where they had entered the kitchen and they didn't have much time left.

"Gwen!" he shouted to her. "The gray eggs are probably the oldest, if anyone is still alive they're in that purple one down there. Come on!"

There was no use being quiet anymore, whatever had killed those people now knew they were hear and it was coming for them.

The two cousins rushed down to the back of the dark basement, Ben still held the flashlight and shined it right on the purple egg. It was all gooey like the substance Gwen had almost been taken by back in the kitchen.

"How are we going to open it?" Gwen venture to ask.

Ben's head was spinning. They had to find a way to open the egg then hide from the thing that was up in the house. If their grandfather was in the purple egg thing then they had even more trouble on their hands. What if he wasn't alive? What if he isn't in the egg? Then they trapped themselves in the basement for no reason at all.

Suddenly, Gwen had an idea which she believed would work.

"Ben, if that stuff is just like what attacked me and Grandpa then if you shine the flashlight on it, the whole thing will disintegrate."

The boy smiled at his cousin's genius idea. "That's right!" he said happily, now knowing that they had some way of getting into the egg.

"I'll start try-" Ben's voice was cut off as something pulled his leg and caused him to fall to the hard ground.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted, watching her cousin smack the floor hard and the flashlight roll off into the distance.

"Agh!" the boy cried as he was slowly engulfed in a purplish slime.

Gwen's mind went into overdrive and she ran after the flashlight. She picked it up and quickly pointed it at her cousins. A shrill hiss came from the bubbling slime and it released Ben from its grasp.

"Ben get over here!" Gwen called from next to the purple egg.

Her cousin got off the floor and could literally feel the chilling sensation of the slime follow in his footsteps.

Unexpectedly, Ben tripped over his own feet and fell down beside the purple egg.

"_Alto – Myrel – Prolecto!" _Gwen's voice uttered words of a different language and held her hands up.

A blue-tinted orb was formed around her, Ben, and the egg that they needed to open. As soon as the mana closed a sphere around them the goop that had attacked them slammed right into the magicka shield.

It continued to bash at the orb mercilessly, splattering itself each time. The slime cried out and shrilly hissed like a dying animal. It was desperate to get to them and was willing to bring itself pain just to attempt to break Gwen's mana shield.

"Ben, please hurry and get the egg open!" Gwen yelled at her cousin, who was still lying on the ground and watching the sludge smash itself against the blue orb Gwen had created.

The young sorceress' arm's were began to ache from holding the shield against so many attacks, but she wasn't about to get them all killed just because her arms were hurting.

Ben jumped up from the ground and took the flashlight from one of Gwen's hands. He then quickly turned to face the whole reason for them being in the situation.

Without even having a second thought, Ben shined the flashlight right at the egg and watched as it began to burn through it. The sludge-egg was opening at whatever points Ben would shine the light.

"Ugh!" Gwen cried out as the slime monster attacked continuously. Her arms were shaking from using her muscles in such tension for so long. They began to feel like jelly and she was afraid she would lose control of them soon. "Ben, please hurry!"

The brunette boy was going as fast as he could. The egg was rather large and the slime didn't melt quickly.

As soon as he got the egg open enough to see what was inside, Ben sighed with relief as he spotted a familiar orange Hawaiian shirt. However, his relief was only enjoyed for a few moments because another problem made itself know. The flashlight began to flicker. The batteries were dying.

The room went from pitch black to sudden light every few seconds. It was almost as if someone had put strobe lights into the room with them.

The purple sludge outside of Gwen's shield recoiled and prepared for another assault. If the monster had a face, it would probably be smiling right about now. The young sorceress was losing her strength each second and her arms began to feel like jelly.

On the other side of the blue mana sphere the slime pulled back and slammed hard into their protective barrier. One of Gwen's arms fell from exhaustion and the shield went inactive for a brief moment before returning.

"Ben, I can't keep this up much longer!" Gwen cried out. She then turned to face her cousin who was lifting Max out of the half-open purple egg. The boy was smiling and didn't seem worried that their only protection was about to be forfeit.

"Just hold it for a little longer. I have an idea." Ben said while lying their unconscious grandfather on the ground.

"What could _you_ have in mind?" she asked skeptically.

Ignoring her remark, Ben continued to instruct her with childish confidence.

"When I say so, drop the shield."

Gwen was now sure her cousin had lost his mind. "Did you hit your head on something? That is not going to happen!" She yelled eccentrically, but with obvious signs of strength depletion from holding the magicka.

"Gwen," Ben started slowly, "do you trust me?"

Gwen ran the words through her heard. Of course she trusted him in situations like these. It was when they were enjoying time without battles that trusting him was not an option.

The orange-haired girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _Please Ben, don't let me down_. She then reopened her eyes and nodded.

"I do" she finally said.

Ben then walked up next to her holding their only light source behind his back. He swiftly removed the narrow lens that was keeping the bright bulb from expanding in all directions. The light was stable – for now – and only flickered ever few seconds.

Ben swallowed. His plan was entirely based around the flashlight not running out of batteries. If it did, they would be in the darkness with absolutely no way to defend themselves.

"On my mark..." he began, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the largest portion of the slime outside of their shield.

"Ben...I can't..." Gwen said without breath.

"Just a bit longer..."

Gwen's arms were no longer under her control. There was no way she could hold them up any longer. Feeling guilty for letting her family down her arms dropped to her sides and the only _complete_ protection they had from the incoming slime was gone.

Ben's heart skipped a beat and his eyes lost their narrow focus. He hadn't expected Gwen to tire so quickly and he watched as the purplish goo wasted no time in diving into their little corner. It spread itself across the walls and slithered on the floor beneath them.

However, no matter what happened Ben was prepared for what he had to do. If he shined the light on the slime now, then it would just escape and probably come back for them later.

_No,_ Ben thought confidently, _this is the only chance I'm going to get_.

The young boy watched as his cousin and lifeless grandfather were slowly engulfed in the goop. Gwen looked at him, her eyes full of fear, wondering why he was letting this happen. Before the purple sludge completely took over her body, Ben saw one tear come out of the innocent girl's eye and race down her cheek. In a flash her entire body was covered in the slime and no visible part of her was left.

"B-en..." Gwen called helplessly – trying her hardest to fight the monster that was proving to be victorious over her. She could only hope that he wasn't going to let her be swallowed by the vicious monster.

Ben turned his head to the side. He couldn't watch the people he cared about the most suffer and his eyes couldn't bear to witness the scene of Gwen struggling without hope of gaining freedom.

_I'm not going to leave you alone, Gwen_. He told himself. _I just need some time._

As soon as the slime had covered Gwen and Max in itself, Ben focused his attention to the portions that were beginning to crawl up his own legs. The goop was cold and sticky. It tugged at his skin as it climbed underneath his green cargo pants. Sharp pains were sent into his legs as each pull seemed to rip off parts of his skin.

Ben kept his hand over the flashlight, giving himself just enough light to see where the main part of the sludge monster was but careful not to make it burn his enemy.

As soon as a large blob of purple slime formed in front of him, he knew this was his chance. Taking his cupped hand off of the bulb of the flickering flashlight, Ben shoved the entire light source into the large purple being.

Almost instantly, the slime that had been creeping up his legs deteriorated. Instead of the usual hissing noise that the monster made when it was confronted with light, a cry of ear-piercing agony erupted from the main blob. Pieces of slime withered away as the flashlight flickered on and off from inside the foe. In vague attempts, it would try to phase out the flashlight, but the bulb would flicker just at the right times to make the attempts futile.

Ben turned his attention to where Gwen and Max had been engulfed in the purple substance. The two were now free of their imprisonment and were both alive. Max was still unconscious on the floor, but breathing. Gwen was panting hard and was lying on the ground bent over with one hand on her stomach. They had gone without air for almost twenty seconds without warning.

In merely a minute the unnatural enemy had completely been destroyed by the strong light source. All that was left was a still-flickering flashlight. Ben walked over to the life-saving device and picked it up. As soon as he held it high enough to where he was able to point it in a direction of his choosing, the light bulb finally gave out and shut off .

Luckily, the three weren't left in complete darkness. A dim light came through from the basement doorway up the stairs. Ben could see that there was a window just in the room where the basement was attached to. The boy smiled as he saw that the night was coming to an end and the sun was rising.

Ben walked over to Gwen and helped her to her feet. She stood wobbly on her two feet and looked shaken. Ben continued to hold onto one of her hands just in case she might of fallen.

"I'm fine," she announced, "but I think we need to wake Grandpa up."

She was right, and Ben didn't know what to say to her. Gwen probably felt that he had let her down. Now wasn't the time to explain his plan to her, because she would most likely never forgive him for using her as bait. Who would?

Ben and Gwen knelt down beside their hyperventilating grandfather. Ben shook his shoulder softly.

"Grandpa...Grandpa wake up." His voice said as if his grandfather had only fell asleep from being too tired.

The young boy continued to shake his grandfather's body until there was a sign of obvious hope. The older man's breathing slowed down and his eyes shot open. Before the two Tennyson cousins could say anything to him – let alone hug him – he jumped into a state of panic.

"The light!" Max cried out and sat up.

"Whoa," Gwen said while brushing Ben's arms off of his shoulders and replacing them with her own. "We're all okay. Ben...killed that thing."

"No no...you can't kill it. There's no way."

"Well Ben did. I knew he would." Gwen then smiled at her cousin – who held his head down in guilt.

Max then realized that they were not in any danger. He finally looked around and returned to his normal self.

"How?" he asked.

"I stuck a flashlight inside of it." Ben announced – still shameful of using his family as bait for the monster.

Hugging his grandchildren, Max closed his eyes and rested his head on both of theirs.

"I'm so glad you two are okay, and I'm sorry for getting you into this. I should have been more careful of who I take advice from."

"Grandpa, what was that thing anyways." Gwen asked. This question caught Ben's attention as well. What did they fight, and how did it get there?

Max sighed. "Well, I guess you both deserve to know." Releasing them from his bear hug, he began to explain everything to them. "That _thing _is called a clorat noctural – or _dark being_ as the Plumbers called them. They're shape-shifters like the Sludge Puppies that we all fought at Camille's wedding. They tend to lure their prey into dwellings that they take over. They also absorb and can transform electricity, that's why I didn't bother looking for any light switches here."

"So what's with the light? Are they vampires or something?" Ben asked confused.

Max laughed – he had a right to now that they were all safe. "No, Ben, actually the substance they are made of begins to heat up and evaporate because of the high wave lengths in the light."

"That makes perfect sense!" Gwen announced, being the only one who truly understood what their grandfather was telling them. "That's why they stay away from the light and that's why you were so uptight about finding a flashlight."

Max nodded, but Ben still looked confused. Once thing had been bothering him ever sense they got into the house, and Max knew exactly what it was.

"And Ben, you couldn't go alien because human DNA is one of the few things the slime cannot attach itself to and basically destroy someone from the inside. If you were to go alien, the dark being would have taken over your body and used it to go out in the light."

"I'm sorry Grandpa," Ben said after hearing the explanation.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you guys this earlier. But we're all safe now – thanks to you Ben." Max gave his grandson a pat on the back. He had some of the most amazing grandchildren, and he knew it. "Now let's get out of here."

Ben was the last one to leave the house that now had sun shining upon it from the dawning sky. He closed the wooden door and hoped that he could forget everything that happened in the house of horrors. However, he knew that – truthfully – the memories would stay with him forever.

The boy turned to head down the porch steps but was confused when he spotted Gwen standing in his way. Ben tried to move around her and follow Max – who was walking towards the Rust Bucket – but Gwen sidestepped into his path.

"What do you want?" Ben asked her – feeling irritated that she was going to annoy him right after they had just concluded their Halloween night. They were both very tired, and their eyes showed it.

"What you did in there..." she started, but Ben spoke before Gwen could finish her sentence.

"I know, I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. Can we just forget about it? I'm really tired, Gwen."

"Well...maybe you shouldn't have. But I'm glad you did. You saved us all and...I-I'm glad you were there to do it." She then walked up to him and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Ben's face turned a beat red and his hand slapped up onto the place where Gwen's lips had just touched his face.

Soon, though, the orange-haired girl's smile faded and her brow furrowed. "Benjamin Tennyson, if you ever tell anyone I did that I will make sure you wake up lost in Africa."

Ben was without words and could only nod. Once he gave her his vow of silence, she smiled at him again and turned to walk towards their RV. Ben stood anchored in the one spot where the impossible had happened. Gwen had kissed him, and not only that, apparently she was glad he was around?


	3. Story Bump: Halloween Day

**Happy Halloween to all readers!**


End file.
